I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to apparatus for the orientation, storage, and display of electronic remote control units.
II. Prior Art and Other Considerations
Remote control units are nowdays provided for a great variety of electronic equipment, including television and audio/visual equipment. In general, electronic remote control units for such equipment have greatly enhanced user convenience and pleasure.
There is a tendency among some equipment users, however, to misplace remote control units. In this context misplacement may mean (1) loss of a remote control unit, or (2) not having all remote control units in the desired location, within easy reach of the user. An example of this is when the user desires to operate a video cassette recorder (VCR) to display information on a television. The remote control units for both the VCR and television are required to accomplish this. If both the television and VCR remote control units are not in the desired remote location, one or both may be considered misplaced, although they may not be lost.
Misplacement is likely to occur in an environment devoid of a suitable storage location for a remote control unit. When a control unit lacks a designated storage location, the control unit is often simply left to lie on a table or shelf, perhaps separate from the other necessary remote control units. Even when a storage location is provided for a remote control unit, the remote control unit must usually be withdrawn from the storage location for proper orientation relative to the controlled equipment before it can be used. In this case, return of the remote control unit to the storage location is not always assured. Thus, if a storage location is not provided, or if a remote control unit is not consistently returned to a storage location, the remote control unit may clutter or detract from the organizational or aesthetic appeal of the environment.
The problem of remote control unit storage and management is compounded when a plurality of control units are operated in a particular environment. The problem is also greatly exacerbated if the controlled equipment has many detached accessories or papers associated therewith, such as television program listings and the like.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for storing one or more remote control units.
An advantage of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for orienting one or more remote control units for use.
An advantage of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for storing one or more remote control units, and for orienting a remote control unit for use so that the remote control unit need not necessarily be removed from the apparatus for operation thereof.
Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for storing one or more remote control units and additionally for storing accessories and items related to the controlled equipment.